The Historical Section makes up the original core of the Šariš Museum. It is its oldest section, and from the museum's start to the 50s it was practically the only one. It was given mainly by the character of the collected museum material, mostly various pieces of junk, old prints, statutes and pictures.
The development of the Historical Section during its beginnings is the merit of Jozef Mihálik and Kornel Divald, later particularly of Gejza Žebrácky, Alexander Frický, Ján Mihaľ, Mikuláš Lovacký and many others.
In the first period, activities of the Historical Section showed most visibly in exhibiting. A historical display was opened in the old Town Hall, and it survived, with smaller changes and additions, until 1956. Its later re-installations took place in 1967 and 1991. A number of issued publications present the results of the research made by the Historical Section during its first phase.
During and after World War II, and particularly in the 50s and 60s, new sections started in the museum, and their activities were widened and specialized. Changes took place also in the Historical Section. Along with the permanent historical display, the section's specialists prepared a number of successful exhibits, e.g. 'Alois Jirásek and Bardejov', 'Bardejov Town Reserve' and 'Demised Glassworks Around Bardejov'. Thanks to the section's specialists, from the 50s, the historical fund started to grow steadily, enriched particularly with unique glass items and icons from around Bardejov.
All collections and purchases pre-conditioned the currently highly valued collection of the Historical Section, which now includes almost 30,000 items. The section's most sizeable fund is the numismatic one, which contains about 12,000 coins and paper notes. A historical library, hiding precious copies of early prints (incunabules), glassware, textile, crafts, artistic and historical collections of plastics and paintings, and, last but not least, a valuable collection of icons, is a very interesting fund as well.
More than 100 pieces of Category I collections, i.e. collections that are significant also internationally, are the object of particular care. They are parts of the historical library and of the numismatic, artistic and historical collections.
Even nowadays, exhibiting is the most important form the Historical Section presents itself in the public. It manages the following permanent displays: A Free Royal Town of Bardejov (Town Hall), Icons (building No 27 in Radničné námestie), and The History of Bardejovské Kúpele (building of the National Historical Section in Bardejovské Kúpele).
Besides exhibiting, the section's workers also have other important tasks. They include particularly the processing and conservation of historical collections, research and publishing, as well as methodological activities and the preparation of topical exhibits at home, in Slovakia, as well as abroad.
Mgr. Valentína KOŠČOVÁ
Specialist for the later history, years 1848 - 1945
Scientific research:
Bibliography since 1998 (137.03 kB)
Šarišské múzeum
Radničné námestie 27
085 01 Bardejov
Slovensko
Tel: 00421-54-472 2009
e-mail: sarmus@nextra.sk
